Officers investigate burglary downtown, arrest suspect an hour later

A sharp-eyed officer arrested a burglary suspect about one hour after investigating the original call early this morning.

Just before 4:00 am, a suspect used a cinder block to break the front door of Joe’s Mart, located at 2nd and Pike. The suspect then entered the store, went directly behind the store counter, and selected some cigarettes. The audible burglary alarm was going off and the suspect spent less than 15 seconds inside the store before leaving. However, store surveillance cameras recorded the entire episode, and provided a fairly good depiction of the suspect.

A West Precinct 1st Watch officer responded to the burglary call and took the report. He waited for the owner to arrive and reviewed the video, which showed the suspect and his distinctive clothing.

After getting all the necessary information to complete the report, the officer then searched around the area. Almost exactly one hour after the inital call, he saw a male matching the description of the burglary suspect walking in the 1500 Block of 3rd Avenue, just one block from Joe’s Mart. While speaking with the suspect, the officer confirmed that the suspect was the same man that was on video shown inside the store. The 59-year-old suspect was arrested and later booked into the King County Jail.

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